Sealed With A Kiss
by realtrashwriting
Summary: Not knowing what to get your princess for her birthday is difficult. It's even harder when she's not around to celebrate.


**Disclaimer: I do not own The School For Good And Evil**

* * *

 **Sealed With A Kiss**

Tedros understood that the battle between Sophie and Agatha was significant. He understood that this wasn't his story and that it was theirs instead. He could accept that Agatha had struggled between what was Good and what felt right. He had felt a similar struggle, and at the end had been able to choose something that felt both right and Good: Agatha.

He hadn't been joking with her when he said that physical cues were helpful. They had certainly had a history of miscommunication and he admitted that most of it was his fault. Still, though, she chose to stay with him and care for him. She chose to love him, and Tedros had never felt so thankful to have another human being's affection in his whole life. The new struggle was articulation, non-verbal or otherwise, and this struggle was one that Tedros felt particularly in the weeks leading up to his princess' birthday.

He'd sent Sophie about a dozen letters asking for advice. When that had fallen through, he'd sent a comparable amount to Chaddick asking for his input as Tedros' best friend but the answers hadn't been so useful. What kind of princess, after all, would enjoy live sword fights or a mud-filled marsh trip?

Tedros had sent only one reluctant letter to Hester as a last ditch attempt which had backfired in his face when the witch promptly laughed at him and called him an idiot for not knowing what Agatha wanted for her birthday.

It had left his pride a bit sore if he was being honest. He certainly felt like an idiot for not knowing. He was a _king_. Despite Camelot's financial state, he should be able to give Agatha anything she wanted. With the girls he had pursued in the past (or rather, that had pursued him), giving them what they wanted was easy. He gave what he could afford and hid anything else. But Agatha knew they were practically destitute; any monetary gift would be met with a frown and an insistence to return it.

And Tedros refused to give her nothing. She was the sort of girl who deserved the world; he would give it to her in an instant if he could get his hands on it. He was not a king that would put his people's desires over his own, true, but for Agatha, there was little he wouldn't do for her if she truly desired it.

His mother had tried to soothe him and emphasized the concept of how it was "the thought that counts". The only problem was that Agatha had thoughts. She had most of his on a daily basis. No, he wanted to give her something tangible, but he couldn't think of anything that she would enjoy.

And so it was that on the dawn of her birthday, Tedros felt drained. His hands were empty, his mind exhausted, and he stumbled into her room that bright morning with a strained smile and a ready hug. Not that he could deliver it since when he opened the door, all he saw was his princess surrounded by women.

"Agatha," he gaped.

She waved to him and began to say something before a large bun was stuffed in her mouth.

"Tedros," said Guinevere lightly. "Agatha's friends asked to visit her, and since it was her birthday, I figured that it would be a good surprise."

"Uh-"

"I know that we're in a bit of a tight situation, but they've brought both gifts and food. Isn't that kind?"

Tedros swallowed hard as Sophie sidled up to Agatha on her bed whilst the coven sat at her feet; beady eyed and sly.

"Yes. Very kind," he said tightly.

"I'm glad you think so." Guinevere beamed at him. "I would have said no, but I know Agatha's been missing her friends and they've clearly been missing her. Plus, Sophie is terribly persuasive." Sophie beamed at her. "Why don't you go wash up? I know the girls have some plans today, but they should be back soon."

"Back?" He frowned. "Where are you going?"

"I wanted to take Aggie for a spa day but the witches insisted on bringing her to the Field of Black Death first."

"It's a famous place to celebrate birthdays," said Dot. "A lot of Nevers kill their first animal there."

"I don't think we should kill-" started Agatha before Sophie stuck another bun in her mouth.

"Don't you worry your pretty little mind, princess," said Hester. She patted Agatha's head with a smirk firmly fixed on her face. "You just have to watch."

Agatha rolled her eyes and swallowed a large bite. "About that-"

"Well, my dear, I think it's a lovely idea. You can get dressed. If you aren't in a rush to leave, meeting us in the dining hall would be lovely."

"Yes, of course," said Agatha with a light blush. Guinevere stood and placed an affectionate kiss on her forehead.

"Happy Birthday, Agatha."

"Thank you."

Guinevere glided over to her son and took his hand. "Come, Tedros. Let's leave them to it."

"But I-"

"Bye, Teddy. We'll join you later," Sophie said before blowing him a kiss.

Agatha once again looked like she wanted to speak, but Guinevere hurried him out of the room and left him separated from his princess.

He'd never felt farther away.

* * *

In the end, they didn't join him. Instead, Tedros worked relatively alone through the rest of the day, trying to avoid yawning in front of his mother. He didn't bother looking for Agatha, knowing that Sophie would bring her back eventually. Meanwhile, he argued with the council men, had lunch with Guinevere and Lancelot, and wrote letters in response to a sea bound prince named Malchior who seemed cautious to strike an alliance.

He accepted presents on his princess' behalf when villagers came to the gates in the early evening with gifts. Many seemed put out by the princess' absence and Tedros found himself the lone recipient of many pitiful stares.

She was not present at dinner either, and though his mother seemed disappointed, she decided to keep the small cake she'd made for another day when Agatha was there to enjoy it. He retreated to his room and sat in a drawn bath until it grew cold. Maybe he was too proud to admit, but even Merlin had mentioned early in the day that he was _almost_ sulking.

Sulking made him sound childish. If anything he should be celebrating how he didn't have to give Agatha his non-existent present, but that thought weighed on him more. It made him feel guilty for even thinking about it. He wallowed in the guilt while he got out of the tub. He tucked a towel around his waist and opened the door to his chambers. He'd taken approximately two steps when he saw a shadow of a person on his windowsill. He gaped, frozen in place as his eyes adjusted to the sight of his princess climbing in through his bedroom.

"Agatha?"

Agatha practically flinched at being addressed, as if she hadn't expected her prince to be in his own room this late at night. "Oh, hi."

"What are you doing?"

She ducked away suddenly. "I can't talk to you right now."

"Agatha, you're gonna fall out the window," Tedros said as he stepped towards the window. "Just-"

"No, _you_ just put some clothes on." She slid into his room and kept her eyes fixed determinedly away from him. Tedros flushed, grabbed a robe from a chair nearby and tied it carefully around his stomach.

"Okay, I'm decent. You can look now."

"You're wearing a robe, aren't you?"

he looked down at himself. "So?"

"That doesn't count, Tedros."

"It's good enough." He moved in her direction. Agatha was staring out the window, practically leaning off the sill. "Just move away from there. You're making me anxious."

"The great Tedros? Anxious?" She scoffed. " _I_ should be anxious. You're not even wearing pants!"

Tedros bristled a bit at that. "I'm sorry that I didn't expect my princess to crawl through my bedroom window after my shower."

Agatha turned to face him slowly, her head ringed with moonlight. He tried to tug her away from the window and noticed a flush of embarrassment.

"Alright," he said, leading her to his bed so that they could both sit. "So how was your day?" he began.

"I just climbed through your window and you want to know how my day went?"

"Would you rather take a bath first?"

Agatha's hesitation made him chuckle and he moved towards the bathroom instead. Is heart longed for his princess but his head needed to make sure she was pleased. "I'll draw it up. Just wait for a second."

"I-"

"You look tired," he said. "Let me do this for you. Please?"

She nodded mutely and Tedros ducked into the bathroom, trying hard to control his own blush. His heart was racing and he cursed himself for feeling so eager to do something for her. When the water was fresh and warm, he returned to his princess who now held her nightgown in her arms.

Tedros blinked. "How did you-"

"One of the maids came in here looking for you and I asked her to bring me my pajamas." Agatha wrinkled her nose. "Although I would have preferred she bring me the shirt I regularly sleep in rather than this dress. I always feel bad for sleeping on something so pretty."

"You can use one of my shirts if you prefer."

She got up sharply and hurried past him into the bathroom, uncharacteristically embarrassed. "I'm fine. I'll be out in a second."

"Right, okay." The thought of Agatha wearing his clothes gave him a warm feeling in his gut. He wandered back to his window and stared out at the garden just below. The city just outside the castle walls was made exclusively of shadows and lamplight. He wanted to give it all to Agatha, but more than anything he wanted to build it up so that it would become a gift she'd lovingly accept.

He must have stared too long because Agatha was suddenly beside him. "You didn't even change." Her expression was softer after the bath. Her hair, wet and inky and a bit wild. His hand came up to squish a bit of her hair between his fingers and she let him. The water he squeezed out dripped down his wrist and they watched it snake down to be swallowed by the robe. Agatha adjusted the towel on top of her head. "Can you at least put bottoms on?"

"Yes, my princess," Tedros said with exaggerated reverence. He grabbed the first pair of undergarments from his dresser. "Are you looking away?"

"Yeah. Yes. Of course," she said, livening up and staring out the window intensely again.

"You're embarrassed." He laughed as he stuck his legs into the appropriate holes.

"Of course I am."

Tedros smirked at the back of her head. "You've seen me practically naked before," he said as he pulled his robe back over his shoulders.

"Not the point."

"I've finished."

She turned around and almost immediately her expression grew withered. "Just pants."

"You only asked for pants."

"Tedros."

"What?" He sauntered over with a sly smile. "I already know you like me shirtless." Agatha spluttered. "It's okay though. It's a big boost to my self-esteem knowing that you like the way I look."

"Ugh." Agatha gave Tedros a frustrated groan.

"You do." Tedros shrugged. "I appreciate it."

"You're way too arrogant."

"And you're way too modest," he said, "but I can't say that I don't like it."

Agatha rolled her eyes and took his hands. They stood by the window, cool breezes ruffling the open curtains, and Tedros watched her play with his fingers. She looked so deep in thought.

"Agatha?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"You really want to know?"

"Only if you want me to know. I kind of-" he cut himself off. Agatha continued to stare at him curiously.

"You what?"

"Never mind."

"Tedros, please?"

He tried to avert his eyes but she had hers wide and convincing; alluring almost. When could she do something like that?

"Fine, fine. Just stop staring at me."

"I thought you liked when I stare at you."

Now it was Tedros' turn to display a full body flush. "I- I've never- I don't," he choked out and she snickered.

"Not so fun being on the other side, huh?"

"You're mean," he said sourly, but it was marred by his weak smile and dark cheeks.

"I don't think I could be your True Love if that was the case," she said as they lowered themselves onto his bed. "Well?"

"I missed you." She breathed in sharply. "Before you say anything, I already know that you prefer your space and you're your own person and that therefore you can do whatever you please both as a person and a princess. But I did miss you today. A lot more than I thought I would."

Agatha's head bobbed a bit and then, smoothly, softly, she pressed her lips to his cheek. It was a quick peck, but Tedros felt like he was on fire all over again.

"I- what was that for?"

"I appreciate your honesty," she said, face hidden by her towel. "I missed you too."

"Oh."

"Yeah." They fidgeted together in his dimly lit room, meeting each others eyes for an awkward moment and then laughing. She leaned her forehead against his and smiled. "I had a lot of fun with them. It was nice to see them since I don't get to very often."

"That's good." Tedros closed his eyes and relaxed. He never could quite quell his anxiety unless Agatha was with him.

"Yeah. It was sweet of them. Sophie even got one of the field rats in her hair and Hester had to kill it. It was kind of funny. She was screeching but it was really just a small thing. Kind of cute, actually"

"I wish I'd have seen it."

She hummed. "I would rather have been here with you, though."

He opened his eyes, and found himself staring into the dark irises of his princess. "Really?"

"Of course. It was my birthday, and it felt wonderful to get away and spend time with them. But I just kept thinking that I'd rather have been here with you. Lot less mess, if you ask me." He blushed. "Does that surprise you?"

"It actually makes me really happy," he said softly, a hand releasing one of hers and cupping her cheek. "Is that why you climbed through my window?"

"Maybe I figured out you were lonely or maybe I just saw a convenient place to escape from them since all the other windows were closed." Agatha shrugged but continued to smile. It was a really good look on her. Tedros wanted to stare at it forever. "Who knows?"

"Happy Birthday, Agatha," he said quietly. His nose rubbed against hers as he shifted closer. His princess seemed to follow his lead as she leaned in as well, smelling of his soap.

"Thanks."

"I-"

"This is so gross." Tedros and Agatha moved so fast that they bumped into one another hard before separating. Tedros glared at the doorway as tears filled his eyes. He rubbed his sore nose and tried his best to look menacing at the witches standing a few feet away. "She turned down cow-tipping for _smooching_?" Dot said indignantly.

"I'm starting to feel like that's all they ever do in private," added Hester.

"You have to admit that she looks far more comfortable here than out there," said Sophie, although she was examining her nails and not really looking at either of them. "At least it's cleaner."

"Looked a little more than just _comfortable_ with her hand on his chest," Anadil said, waggling her eyebrows wildly.

Tedros' blush grew furious and he scowled. "What are you guys still doing here?"

"Well, we _were_ looking for Agatha, but clearly she found something more fun to occupy her time," said Hester. "This supposed to be her birthday present or something, boy king?"

"Um, you guys can go. Seriously." The embarrassment was getting a bit unbearable but a part of him (a small, selfish part) was glad that Agatha had chosen to come see him in the end. "I appreciate that you guys took Agatha out and gave her a fun day, but it's really late. Can we just...you know-"

"Oh, I'm sure we _know_ , Teddy." Sophie tacked on an exaggerated wink and ushered the coven out of his room. "Well, it's good to know she wasn't kidnapped or anything. I hope you enjoyed, Aggie."

"I did, thank you," said Agatha somewhere on his right and sounding just as embarrassed as him.

"Until next time, my dear," said Sophie, "Happy Birthday."

"Yeah, Happy Birthday, Agatha," said Hester. "Don't forget to write and put in all the _gorey_ details." The evil smirk on her face made Tedros feel like Hester was attempting to compile information to use against him.

" _Bye_."

Sophie let out a ringing laugh and shut the door, leaving Tedros and Agatha in the silence of his room. His near ever-present flush in the presence of his princess kept his fair skin coloured, and when they locked eyes they dissolved the tension in another fit of laughter, this one more full and light-hearted.

"They always do that," said Tedros through chuckles.

"Sneak up? Definitely. They do have that Never stealth ingrained in them," Agatha said.

They lay next to each other on his bed, laughing quietly together in the dark of his room. Eventually, his hand reached over to link with hers on the covers and she glanced over at him with the remnants of a smile on her face.

"I am really glad they came though. You had fun today."

She nodded, face smushed against the comforter. She still drew in all his attention. "Yeah. Hester said that it was your gift to me, kind of."

"O-oh?" Since when did the witch decide to do that for him?

"But she also said that you had something else to give me when I got back? Something expensive, apparently."

Ah, there it was.

"Sorry to say that I haven't got anything to give you," said Tedros, "and the trip was mostly the witch's idea."

"Thank you anyway. This is nice." She thumbed the back of his hand with a shy smile.

He nodded mutely and leaned forward. "Hey, Agatha?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

She blinked at him slowly; her pretty lips parted. "Okay?"

"'Okay'? That's all I get. Some True Love you are," he teased quietly, sitting up a bit using his other hand to straighten out some of Agatha's dark hair. Agatha stared up at him.

"Jerk."

"Meany."

She narrowed her eyes and moved up, balancing on her forearms and pressing her mouth against her prince. He kissed her softly and the hand in her hair slid down to support her neck. Agatha shifted under him pull away to sit up properly and wrinkled her nose. "Hester is right. We do kiss a lot."

"Not enough, if you ask me," Tedros huffed, "especially considering the amount of times we get interrupted."

"Well they can't interrupt us now, can they?"

He raised his eyes at her bluntness and couldn't help himself. He leaned in, content and glad to give her something he knew only he could give. At least this was a gift he knew she would enjoy.


End file.
